Turkey detains over 1,000 including journalists as Imamoglu protests grow
Turkey has cracked down on protests over the arrest of Istanbul's mayor and more than 1,000 demonstrators have been detained.
ANKARA — Turkish authorities detained hundreds of people overnight Monday amid ongoing mass protests over the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, extending a crackdown on journalists and political party members.
Imamoglu was detained over corruption and terrorism-related accusations last Wednesday, sparking mass protests across Turkey as opposition voices deemed the detention a politically motivated move aimed at a key rival of Erdogan. The Turkish government strongly denies the accusation, insisting that the judiciary operates independently.
On Monday Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya raised the tally of demonstrators detained since the start of the protests last week to more than 1,000.
“Between March 19 and March 23, 2025, 1,133 suspects were taken into custody during illegal activities,” Yerlikaya posted on the X platform.
